On Fri, 29 Jan 1999, Kelly K. wrote:
Who can
> >tell me more about Johnnie Johnson?
>
Barry replied:
> Already am experienced Midwest keyboard man (St. Louis or Kansas City
> originally, I think) when he met Chuck Berry--this was the guy who played
> piano on the likes of Roll Over Beethoven, Maybelline. Thirty Days,
> Brown-Eyed Handsome Man, Too mUch Monkey Business, Memphis, Almost
> Grown., Little Queenie and Carol...It's widely accepted that his piano
> licks had significant influence on Berry guitar lick and therefore on all
> of rock and roll (with apologies to Louis Jordan and T-Bone Walker, who
> Berry knew just as well).
This is it, in a nutshell. Johnny still plays around St. Louis
quite often, usually fronting his own combo but occasionally still
sitting in with Chuck or other local bluesmen. He's a very sweet old guy,
and not the type to draw attention to himself. He can still play just
fine, too. I catch Johnnie when I can because he's one of the last
remaining links to '50's rock n roll at its very best.
Kip
